


Dusk and Dawn

by aria_vitali



Series: Collections of History Unwritten [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Dark Knight Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Hopeful Ending, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 04:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21386437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aria_vitali/pseuds/aria_vitali
Summary: A piece I wrote while I was on my way to reaching lvl 60 DRK. I loved the story for the class and I wish it was elaborated more in the game. I definitely had a sense of closure after finishing it.
Series: Collections of History Unwritten [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1541752
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Dusk and Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> A piece I wrote while I was on my way to reaching lvl 60 DRK. I loved the story for the class and I wish it was elaborated more in the game. I definitely had a sense of closure after finishing it.

“You’re going, aren’t you?”

Lucia had stepped in front of Aymeric, as if to use herself as a shield at the sight of the intruder. Meanwhile, Alphinaud had reached a hand out to place against his grimoire to prepare for the _possibility_ of a skirmish and Thancred had his hands on the hilts of his knives. The manservants of the three Fortemps gentlemen, despite not wielding weapons, displayed their loyalty by creating a wall in front of the nobles.

The figure, a clear copy of the Warrior of Light, stood leaning against the door. There were faint tendrils of darkness and something akin to miasma wafting at her feet. While in previous encounters, she had been more bite than bark, she had an expression of a person deeply haunted. Exhausted. Empty.

“My friend,” Aymeric called out to Aria.

But she didn’t move. She hadn’t even motioned to her weapon or stepped forward to stand her ground against the intruder. The Warrior looked only to her shade with firm sadness, as if she knew exactly what the shade wanted to say. It was the same when the shade began walking towards her. Aymeric had stepped around Lucia and took Aria’s wrist to pull her behind him - for what manner incited him to do so when it was the Warrior of Light that was the target he knew not - but she fought against his pull.

She peered over her shoulder and supplied him with the softest smile of reassurance that she could before moving from his hold and meeting her shade halfway. The shade’s brows furrowed in pain, lifting her hand up to hold it in the air. Aria lifted her hand to press against her palm softly. When the shade had lifted the other, though hovering it lower, Aria mirrored her movement.

“What can I possibly say?” the shade asked helplessly. “What can I say that will stop you from the chance at death’s embrace…?”

Aria shook her head. It caused the shade to both grin and chuckle darkly.

“Then … I won’t stop you,” the shade muttered, lacing her fingers to Aria’s to clench it. Aria, although surprised, did the same. “Which is why I brought you a present …”

The shade released one of Aria’s hands, reaching into their pocket and holding out an elixir in an intricate blue bottle. Aria’s eyes widened as she peered from the bottle to her mirror. The shade shrugged helplessly.

“Your … _our_ wounds … they have not healed yet,” she said. “Suffice to say, I will _not_ let us march to face the seventh hell in its eyes without even a chance to walk away … even if ‘tis not unscathed.”

The shade nudged Aria with the bottle, causing the Warrior to accept it and put it in her satchel.

“Drink it when we earn a reprieve and then have the boy close the wound to your side, _at least_,” the shade chided.

Alphinaud’s eyes widened, then bore into Aria’s back.

“You were hiding your wounds again?!” he exclaimed.

Aria sighed, shaking her head at the thought of the soon-to-be lecture she was to have. The shade chuckled, slightly light of heart than the last they had displayed their darkened mirth.

“Mayhap there will be a time when you will forgive yourself enough to return to the healing arts…” the shade mused.

They had taken their free hand once more, bringing it back to the same position they had before.

“For so long, you continue to look beyond the horizon,” the shade muttered weakly. “Whilst I look to bring the dusk to this painful world that looks to simply take what they will from us, here you are, continuously forging the path to a new dawn. They will never know the depths of our sins, for every daunting and painful task we succeed in fulfilling, there is yet a hole that is dug in the deepest crevices of our heart. For them to send us off and welcome us home as if we are without pain, without misery, without the burden of those that have fallen to our hands…”

“Aria…” Aymeric had unconsciously called. _Fury above..._

  
“...even so, will you allow this helpless shade to follow?” The shade asked. “To return back to where it all began?”  
“I've had enough of this,” Thancred hissed.

His motions were halted by a sharp glare in his direction from the Warrior of Light herself.

“Please, stop,” she pleaded...nay, demanded.

He couldn’t say no to the tone of her voice, especially not at the desperation that had betrayed her steadfast gaze. Though he had unsheathed his weapons and was ready to pounce, he relaxed his body. Aria turned towards the shade once more.

“One day, we will let them in to the truth…” the shade mused. “But alas, we are without any more time.”

The shade released her hold of Aria’s hands before pressing her palms to Aria’s cheeks.

“Take me back,” the shade pleaded. “And for when there is a time you wish for me to take the reins - even if ‘tis for a short moment, a day, or even until the end of time - I will be here. Waiting. And while I wait, I will be within our heart shedding tears that cannot be shed in front of others, screaming vengeance against those that take what is ours, and a source of strength to be tapped into when ‘tis most needed. Take me, our sunlit half.”

  
Aria smiled. “It is without question, my moonlit reflection. We will be counting on you.”

  
The shade smiled, finally content. “...Thank you. In that case, let us be on our adventure … so we will have many more stories to write about when we return.”

  
“Indeed…” Aria answered.

The shade’s figure had begun fading and where there was a person - if one can even call it that - was an array of light with the likeness of stars. One by one, the ephemeral lights danced towards the Warrior and allowed themselves to be absorbed. To everyone’s dismay, the darkness that had lingered on the shade’s feet at the beginning of the interaction appeared to their Warrior. It brought fear to the young Elezen’s heart as he called out to her.

“Aria, how do you feel?” Alphinaud asked.

Aria took a moment to respond, but when she did, she peered over her shoulder to gaze towards her comrades. At the sight of silent tears streaking down her cheeks, they worried that she was in pain. She made no motion indicating distress, inclining her head.

“Worry not for me, my friend,” Aria responded. “Let us be about our way.”

As Aria stepped forward, Thancred had sheathed his weapons and took the Warrior by her arm. Surprised, she looked towards him to find his disapproving expression.

“No,” he said. “Not until we have Alphinaud see to your wounds.”

There was a moment of silence and Aria could almost hear her shade laughing in the back of her mind.

“Oh, **_right!_**” Alphinaud shouted.

_Fury, take me already_, was the last of Aria’s own thoughts before Alphinaud filled them with his.


End file.
